Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time there was a place on earth, where stress was not yet invented, where time had no meaning, where life was to be lived. Daily routines get accomplished, obstacles conquered with smiles on faces. Place filled with sincere people, wrapped in a breath-taking scenery.

There must have been places like that back in the previous centuries but I was glad to have the chance to visit one still existing. For a short time I left my world behind, stepped back in time and visited the northern neighbour of my adopted home country, Laos. Officially known as Lao PDR (Lao Please Don't Rush, as often referred to).

As my experience was so short (too short) I can't offer an insight on the real life of people living in this fantastically beautiful country, I have no idea on their feelings or thinking. But I have an idea of how it seems, of how it feels. Laos didn't seem to be like anything I've experienced before, it seemed like time had stopped there a long time ago. It feeled like from another world.

The people had smiles on their faces. They smiled through their daily tasks, chatting freely with each other, playing with their children. Along the way from Vang vieng to Luang Prabang (about 10 hours on a bus) we passed by countless little villages, where dogs were lazying around, children playing, aduls going in and out to the little wooden houses, chilis drying on the roofs.

The capital Vientiane, situated on Mekong River, is lacking almost every sign of a capital in Western sense of the word. No sky scrabers in sight and rush hour is an unknown term (if you don't count 10 tuk tuks and 5 bicycles on a row). But despite the sympathetic tempels and lively markets, it's slowly getting there. At least it's no sleepy small town anymore, although that feeling is still at some spots present.

Unfortunately, there is no paradise that western tourists wouldn't want to ruin. Vang vieng is the Laos example. The limestone mountains, with the lovely river streaming through the beautiful setting and various caves and caverns have attracted too many tourists. Mainly backpackers I would say, inspired by cheap drugs and crazy fun on the river banks. The main attraction on the river, tubing, would seem to me more relaxing and enjoyable if one didn't have to pass the dozens of night club - look a like bars along the way. There are always snakes in the paradise.

Passing through Vang vieng is still worth it because at the end, after 10 hours on a bus through breath taking scenery, the world cultural heritage town Luang Prabang can be reached. And not only that, bu the ride there itself deserves its own story! I wouldn't have thought it being possible, to sit on a bus an entire day, just watching the landscape. It is possible. There was no way I could have slept, even blinking my eyes seemed a waste of time, the landscape is that amazingly beautiful. No words could ever describe. Stunning, fascinating in every aspect.

Luang Prabang is a cute little town, well taken care of. The world cultural heritage site and for a reason. Cruising on Mekong and climbing up the waterfall were the absolute highlights on the holiday. Besides the bus ride, but it belongs to its own category.

As along the roads, the life of the locals can also be observed from the river. The little authentic local villages don't need to be visited, they can't be avoided. They are right there were you would anyways be, by the road, on the river banks. No reality tv offers this much insight on people's lifes.

One broken bus (but somehow on the spot fixed), one flat tire on a moped (fixed at a near by village), two bruised toes and countless mosquito bites later I returned to my own world. To the world I love despite its weaknesses. Thankful for finding a place I can run a way to if I wish to stop my watch.

Living the Life to the Fullest

I have a new hobby. One that has given me access to a new and fascinating world - the world under water. Without doubt some of you might find my enthusiasm about scuba diving funny and exaggerated. I am aware that it ain't any strange and rare hobby nowadays. Still to me it was and remains something spectacular. And even more so, as I have always been afraid, if not terrified, of going underwater.

That I have been able to accomplish the open water course (and now the advanced open water as well) and even without having any trouble with the required skills, near-panic feelings or hesitations - better boost for the self-confidence is difficult to imagine! Life-long dream fullfilled, fears over come and the best of it, I love it to no limits!

This is what life should be about, fullfilling dreams, overcoming fears, exploring the world's various adventures. Facing your fears and overcoming them provide a sensational almighty-feeling. The success achieved through thrusting yourself to stretch your limits and draw the line again a bit further is incredibly tasty. Recommended!

Having fears mustn't be a sign of weakness but once able to gather the strength needed to even face the fear is certainly a sign of a powerfull mind. One step at time and at the end the world might seem a bit less scary and a bit more open for new adventures. Whatever you're into.

For the scuba diving is but one example from my life, but there are at least as many dreams, fears and mental obstacles as there are people. So suit yourself. At the end it is all again about the little things. The greatest pleasures in life can be found in and through the little, simple things. Just as such, taking little steps towards a stronger character, more self-loving and self-respecting , are the surest way for success. No matter what or where your goals are. Trust me, testing your limits and stepping out of your comfort zone is worth it!

A Weekend in Utopia

I love living in Bangkok for many reasons and amongst them is it's location. There is a lot to see in Thailand but even more in the surrounding countries. Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Macao, Singapore and many more are just around the corner! These are my new Paris or Prague, Italy and Spain - my "long weekend holiday destinations"!

End of July I took use of this opportunity again and flew to Penang for a weekend. Thanks to a buddhist holiday we had the monday off from work which offered the possibility for a long weekend holiday. And thanks to the world's best low cost airline Air Asia, reaching different destinations is fast and affordable.

Penang is a lovely island and very suitable for a short holiday. For those who have never heard of it before - I hadn't either. I only googled it after I had already booked my flights there. So I found out I was going to Malaysia for the weekend. Malaysia - truly Asia, as the ads promise.

I don't know if Penang represents the rest of the country well, I doubt it, but it's definitely worth visiting. The most charming part of it is the variety of cultures in the streets of the capital Georgetown. Look right and you see India, look left and you see China, and in the next corner a mosque is sharing the space with a church. The people in Penang come literally from all around the world. It's a smelting pot of cultures and religions like I've seen no where before.

There was still one thing that the locals seemed to be having in common. Their age. A 60 year old would look like a teenager in Penang. No wonder the town missed night life almost entirely...

I don't know how it works out in practice but it seemed that Penang had found a balance within cultural and religional diversity. Conflicts and intolerance were nowhere to be seen. Hindu temples and mosques, chinese temples, churches and buddha altars seemed all to get along just fine.

No crowds, no pollution, lazy atmosphere and english speaking locals made the weekend very relaxing. A true escape from the queues, traffic jams and dirtyness that can't be avoided in Bangkok. And not only that basically everybody spoke rather good english, but we were able to read the signs and maps too!

The illusion of us understanding what was written in the signs didn't last long but was strong enough to show how secure a feeling familiar letters can give. In Thailand it's quite stressful that I can't read anything. I can't translate any street signs, advertisements or sms' received from the phone company. In Penang I realized I missed just that. Although being able to understand the letters isn't of much help either if one has no basic understanding of the language whatsoever...this was best shown to us as we had been thinking about visiting the much in various signs advertised "jalan sehala" - which we found out a bit later meaning "one way street"...(feel free to draw the conclusion that most of the streets are one way only in Penang).

I truly hope that my impression of Penang won't be revealed to be utopia and false hopes. I'd like to think that the pretty island with its charming capital-town has found the right combination of appreciating cultural diversity and different ways of thinking and believing, thus letting everything and everyone flourish and shine. This would give hope for the rest of the world to learn to see differences as richness. Please don't prove me wrong!

Partly Paradise

Taking 2 days off from work to get a long weekend but ending up working on one of them doesn't really qualify as a describtion for a relaxing weekend-holiday. But at least I got to change the office to a more natural and beautiful environment - to sea and beaches.

I must confess here and now, that I already did what I hadn't planned to do at all. I went to Phuket. And the reason why I hadn't planned to go to Phuket at all is purely it being the Canary Islands of the 21st century. In other words, not my pick for a holiday destination.

To be fair, the reason at the first place to go to Phuket was that the flights were cheaper than to Krabi and that I wanted to go to Ko Phi Phi islands which are located only 2 hours boatdrive away from Phuket. And to be honest, it was only for me having to work that we stayed in Phuket for 2 nights.

Luckily there was still time to go to Phi phi. The island itself was rather a disappointment -beautiful for sure but far from the paradise island I had hoped to find. Just like anywhere else, the same souvenir stuff, sandals and beach-wear, banana pancakes and smoothies and western delicacies were on offer. No hiding from the globalization and masstourism. Surely the island is beautiful, nice beaches and clear seawater - but what's new about that in Thailand?

A day tour on a long tail boat saved it to be worth coming. The surroundings of the Phi phi islands still offer a slight feeling of what it has been like before the mass tourism. Such crystal clear waters that the fishes and corals can be enjoyed from aboard! Snorkeling just adding some extra fun to that - the fishbites one can only "enjoy" in the water.

To me the highlight was the remote island chosen for our lunch break. There I finally found what I had been looking for, even for a very short while. Peace and quiet. No people around. Just stunning beauty of a little island, not in the middle of nowhere but with good imagination the thoughts can wander away to that. Unfortunately the good imagination is still really needed, while although I was alone on one end of the island and could enjoy the moment without hearing no human voices, none of that was still faraway. And unfortunately, others had found the corner before me - the random trashes hadn't flushed to the beach just from the sea. I ended up having paradise-like pictures but knowing just too well how they didn't show all of the truth.

What bothers me the most are not the locals being ignorant to the protection of these sites but us, the visitors. Everywhere I go I see empty bottles, cans and wrappings, left laying on the ground. If one manages to carry the picnic stuff up the hill to the waterfalls how come it's too much to ask to collect the leftovers and wrappings afterwards and bring them down as well? The empty plastic bottle weights far less as when it was still full! And the chocolatebar-wrappings don't take much space in the backpack. I have never heard of anyone who is looking forward to on a national park-trekking / beach / snorkeling holiday to seeing other people's garbage rather than the naturally beautiful nature. Anyone?

Got to add to this, the worst behaviour I experienced was by the sunset on a little lagoon which could have been the perfect ending for a fun day - if it hadn't been for a bunch of british teenagers who had decided to begin the party by getting drunk and smoking in the shallow water. And yes, leaving the beer cans and cigarettes just there, in the water. As much as I had tried to ignore the rudeness and ignorance of people around these natural sights during the day, that group truly were up to destroying any chances left for that.

So instead of just writing how amazingly beautiful the sea and the islands are, how stunning the natural charm of the nature, at the end I have to face the reality and tell the truth. The sea is amazingly beautiful, the islands and the nature in general charming but for how long still, no one knows. Kilroy travel's advertisements "Go before its too late" come to my mind - soon we might just be seeing cardboard-rhinoceros on safaris, monkeys begging for work on streets and the last piece of antarctica smelting. And Arnold Schwarzeneggers face on Mount Rushmore.

Until then, we still have these half paradises to enjoy. By closing the eyes on the right moment its still imaginable what the earth has been like - and could be like. And with good will the half-paradise holidays can be well enjoyed and the remains of the stunning nature observed with awe. Beauty is on the eyes of the beholder.

Even though

Bangkok is a fascinating city. To some extent it appears as a modern, big, chic-styled western look-a-like but that's only part of the truth. Even though it has its business centres and fancy shopping areas, it still doesn't give up its sympathetic charisma.

The crowded streets, wooden-floored old buses, tuktuks, sideways used for markets and tempels built in most (un)imaginable places make it an eternal wonder. I could spend my time just watching the traffic and observing the people. In Bangkok the life is on the streets.

Yet still every now and then one needs a break of the hectic city life. If having a relaxing massage, visiting a temple or enjoying some cocktails on a terrace by the river isn't sufficient anymore, there are beaches and other attractions near by offering a weekend get-a-way. I had a good excuse for trying out some things as I had a friend visiting me.

The best, most beautiful and most convenient place for a weekend chill-out must be the island Ko samet. Other beach options I don't bother naming for they don't deserve to be listed in the same chapter with Ko samet. Reachable by a very reasonably priced bus+boat combination in about 3 hours, the island offers relaxation, water sport- activities or beach party - something for every one.

The food is great, no surprise, but still not at all over-priced which one could suspect on a little island. There are beaches for the party animals, for the sportlers and for those who look for some peace and quiet. Breathing in the truly fresh air is cost-free and feels excellent. But other attractions are affordable as well. Boats can be hired to take one to various snorkeling places or the surroundings can be viewed on a kajak trip. The stunning sunset is most favourably enjoyed on a beach with a cocktail in one hand. And almost nothing compares to an early hour swim in the ocean. The price to be paid for this fun is some itchy mosquito bites - but its still worth it.

If beach life is not what you are looking for, no worries! A charming 2 hour train ride, sitting on wooden benches, enjoying the scenery through open windows and avot! Welcome to Kanchanaburi.

The “the” attraction in Kanchanaburi is the river Kwae – or rather the bridge crossing it. The cruelties against the POWs building the bridge and “death railway” during the WWII put the place on map. Although the bridge isn’t the original one anymore and only a short part of the original railway has remained it still remains an attraction. Standing on the railway, facing the stunning beauty of the surrounding nature makes the moment surreal, as one would like to enjoy the sight but because of the horrible history, laughter and joy just don’t seem appropriate. Interestingly, for our visit the nature offered a melancholy atmosphere as we got the weekend’s only rain shower when standing on the original part of the railway.

A trip to Kanchanaburi doesn’t only need to be filled with melancholy and sad feelings over the devastating history of human beings. Kanchanaburi has a lot of beautiful sights and fun to offer which one can enjoy to the fullest. In the Erawan national park trekking up the great waterfall and swimming in seven different parts of it along the way is major fun: sporty and relaxing. And since in Thailand, elephant riding can’t be overseen either! Afterwards bamboorafting along the river gives a moment of peace and quiet. During and right after the monsoon season there are also some other waterfalls nearby that can be visited too.

Some more war history, but less well-known in the western world, can be sighted in the former capital Ayutthaya. A small city that once gloomed and glanced but is literally in ruins now. And the ruins are the fascinating and interesting part of the city that can be visited on a one day trip from Bangkok. If you don't mind being in sun all day, lacking the possibility of cooling down in the sea, then Ayutthaya is the place to be. Walking can't be avoided, although parts of the area can be explored on a tuk-tuk (or on an elephant).

Ayutthaya was torn and burnt down by the Burmese on one of the several wars against the Siamese. Several interesting stories can be read over lost, stolen and finally-found-in-a-strange-place-treasures. The funniest attraction is surely the head of one buddha statue which is covered with the roots of a tree.

I enjoy any chance in visiting places outside Bangkok but am always happy to be back. After a short holiday the continuous "madam madam I make you a dress" and "tuk tuk madaaaam, where you go madaam" yells irritate me less than before, the familiar streets and restaurants seem so cozy and a smile from the pineapple man makes me feel welcomed back home.

The Little Things

What is it that makes one's life special? What's life about?

In my "exceptional" life, as a friend put it, I came home from work, read a book for a while, cooked dinner and watched a movie. Pfuu, interesting? Maybe not but it was still an evening filled with many different emotions, mostly positive. That's interesting to me. The feelings, how suddenly different feelings just pop up, come and go put leave you wondering. Emotions are interesting.

I've been reading Dostoevski's The Idiot. A very exceptionally good book, it's kept hold on me over these past days. How would it be if we all were like the idiot - speaking "from the heart rather than the head"?

Maybe it wouldn't be much worth, as I don't believe in people being in general as "positively good" from the nature as Dostoevskys idiot is. But if we were able to trust, to like, to think well of others, to forgive without even being asked to and just to be kind, wouldn't that make also one's own life more enjoyable? For isn't it really for the little things that makes life so special?

I started watching a movie as I was preparing dinner. The dinner itself was fairly simple but to me exceptionally experimental - Tofu and pasta are no new ingredients to me but for the sauce I had decided to try thai red curry-paste. The most spicy sauce I've ever eaten, aua! Ought to have learned by now but no. Used the entire package without trying, clever. But even still, with my tongue burning I felt cruelly happy - probably since I was able to finish the dish and actually still even enjoy it's taste.

And then there was the movie. A very charismatic guy, pretty woman, romantic story, you know. Would have had no special impact on me, if it wasn't for the language and the city it took place at. Berlin, where else. No words can describe the warm feeling I had and have in my heart when watching those ahh so familiar and dear streets, u-bahn stops, tv-tower, buildings...and hearing german. There is something about Berlin and the German language. I doubt their ability to awaken these feelings inside me will ever fade away.

It's interesting how such unexceptional things like reading a book, cooking dinner or watching a movie can cause such strong feelings. I appreciate it that they can. I used to be afraid and ashamed of being emotional, showing emotions, but what really is so wrong about that? Isn't it worth being happy about being happy over some little things?

I don't know what life is about. Maybe there is no one right answer to that question. But what makes my life special and exceptional to me are the little things. Getting a message from a distant friend saying "miss you", keeping me smiling for the rest of the day. The pineapple man greeting me warmly as he recognizes me. The guard downstairs understanding me when I'm speaking thai to him. Listening to my favorite song from a friend's cd (who is now in Berlin, imagine!). Life mightn't be perfect but it is as it should be. I feel, therefore I live?

What's Left

"War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left" (Bertrand Russell). And What. I'm not suggesting the final clash between the reds and the army should be called war. That would be a little exaggerated. But Russell's thought describes it so well. The fighting between the reds and the troops determined what is left.

The demonstration had to be ended. The reds had been given many opportunities to stop the demo in peaceful manners. They had been been asked to free the district they had taken over. There were negotiations to find a solution. They had even been offered a compromise to settle the conflict. They showed no interest.

I always avoid taking sides and forming strict opinions if I don't have sufficient information of the different options and understanding of the background. What comes to Thai politics and society I am way too inexperienced to give any in-depth analysis of the crisis. Or of it's outcomes. I'm only reporting what I have experienced and how things seem to be. What comes to the red's demonstration, the reds blocking an intersection, an important business district for weeks after weeks and showing no will to put an end to that - what else can one expect but an end to be forced?

As I have said many times before and written here, the demonstration itself was not violent. In this sense them saying they are no terrorists but peaceful demonstrators wanting democracy was not incompatible with their doings. On the other hand, no peaceful demonstrators want to harm their fellow citizens and their country's well being in any way. And this demo harmed many, not directly the physical well-being but at least through the economical sufferings. And most importantly, no peaceful demonstrators who just want democracy gather a huge amount of weapons and prepare themselves for anything but a peaceful solution.

It seemed to come as a surprise as to what extents the reds, at least the extreme side of them, were willing to go. The government especially underestimated their frustration when force was used to end their demo. This frustration and anger led to terrorist-like acts, not to mere vandalism. The things destroyed, mainly buildings set in fire, were purposefully and strategically chosen.

Naturally in an outburst of fighting damage is caused to unintentional objects as well but in this case I observed very limited purposeful vandalism. The places that suffered the worst damages after the most intent fightings and especially outside of the main fighting terrain, were targeted for a reason. The Central World (rip) being the saddest example. How I wished the owner had been a supporter of the reds instead of the governing party...

Central World is in ruins but the life goes on. Streets are jammed with traffic again, Paragon-Mall has opened it's doors again and the clothes, shoes and accessories sold on the sidewalks are multi-colored again, not only picturing Thaksin on red background anymore.

It was incredible to observe how it took only a weekend with thousands of volunteers to get the city back to the normality. One weekend, and without the ruins of the Central World you wouldn't have a clue where the demo and (most of) the fightings took place. Stunning. The area had been blocked for almost 2 months, our office had been in evacuation for a month and me not able to return to home for a week and then just one weekend and it's all over. Suddenly life was back to normal again like nothing had ever happened. If it wasn't for the ruins to remind us.

Be aware though, this was not an end to a conflict or even to the conflict. The political disagreements have gone nowhere and neither have the frustration and anger. These is a gap, a division among the Thais. Very unfortunate, since all parties no matter what their color-code is, seem to want the same thing. Democracy. The differences, as usually, occur in the definition and in the means in achieving it. Realistic to say, it is quiet now but it won't stay that way for ever.